Multiple-factor authentication

1. A method comprising: using a data-center communications server to provide data communications services to a plurality of remotely-situated client entities, wherein each respective client entity includes a plurality of users each associated with a respective data communication device including circuitry configured and arranged to use the data communications services from a provider; using a computer server including at least one processor circuit to verify a first authentication factor for a user among the plurality of users; generating, using the computer server, a communication request that includes a first portion specifying at least one target endpoint for the user, and a second portion that includes a set of instructions specific to the client entity associated with the user, wherein the set of instructions specify how to communicate a security code for the client entity and specify different security codes for different types of communication; and using the computer server to transmit the communication request to the data-center communications server, and verify a second authentication factor for the user by comparing input from the user to the security code, wherein the communication request is a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) link, and wherein the set of instructions specifying how to communicate the security code include executable code configured and arranged to direct the data-center communications server on how to communicate the security code to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first authentication factor includes a user name and password received through a web interface, wherein the set of instructions are code executable by the data-center communications server.

3. A method comprising: using a data-center communications server to provide data communications services to a plurality of remotely-situated client entities, wherein each respective client entity includes a plurality of users each associated with a respective data communication device including circuitry configured and arranged to use the data communications services from a provider; using a computer server including at least one processor circuit to verify a first authentication factor for a user among the plurality of users; generating, using the computer server, a communication request that includes a first portion specifying at least one target endpoint for the user, and a second portion that includes a set of instructions specific to the client entity associated with the user, wherein the set of instructions specify how to communicate a security code for the client entity and specify different security codes for different types of communications; and using the computer server to transmit the communication request to the data-center communications server, and verifying a second authentication factor for the user by comparing input from the user to the security code, wherein the second portion contains the security code, the method further including transmitting the security code to the user, by the data-center communications server, according to the set of instructions specifying how to communicate the security code to the user and upon connection of a communication.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the set of instructions include audio prompts and menu options provided in response to verifying the first authentication factor.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the set of instructions include a conditional statement with a conditional operator that includes a database query to identify the security code, wherein the set of instructions provided as a part of the communication request include an identifier of the target endpoint and does not include the security code.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the database query is to a database maintained by a provider of the data-center communications server.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the set of instructions include a command that requests fraud monitoring services based upon communication summary metrics by the data-center communications server detecting a frequency of multi-factor authentication requests for the target endpoint that is greater than a threshold frequency in a particular period of time.

8. An apparatus comprising: a computer server including at least one processor circuit and memory circuit configured to provide authentication of a user by: verifying a first authentication factor for the user; identifying at least one target endpoint for the user; generating a communication request that includes a first portion specifying the target endpoint, and a second portion that includes set of instructions for communication routing logic of a data-center communications server, the set of instructions including commands specifying how to communicate a security code and specifying different security codes for different types of communications; transmitting the communication request to the data-center communications server; and verifying a second authentication factor for the user by comparing input received from the user to the security code, wherein the second portion includes the security code, further including the data-center communications server configured and arranged to provide the security code to the user, according to the set of instructions, in response to receiving the communication request.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first authentication factor includes a user name and password received through a web interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the communication request is a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) link and includes the first portion and the second portion input by an application programming interface, the first portion and second portion including executable code.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the set of instructions include audio prompts and menu options for the user to receive the security code, wherein audio prompts and menu options are defined by the set of instructions transmitted to the data-center communications server as part of the communication request and wherein the data-center communications server is further configured and arranged to provide the security code to the user in response to a selection of one of the menu options.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the set of instructions include a conditional statement with a conditional operator that includes a database query.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the database query is to a database maintained by a provider of the data-center communications server.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the set of instructions include a command that requests fraud monitoring services based upon communication summary metrics.

15. A method comprising: receiving, at a data-center communications server, a communication request; parsing the communication request into a first portion specifying a target endpoint, and a second portion that includes set of instructions for communication routing logic of a data-center communications server, the set of instructions including commands specifying how to communicate a security code and specifying different security codes for different types of communications; initiating a communication with the target endpoint; and communicating, in response to the second portion, the security code to the target endpoint, wherein the second portion includes the security code, further including the data-center communications server configured and arranged to provide the security code to a user, according to the set of instructions, in response to receiving the communication request.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the communication request is an HTTP request that includes a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) link wherein the communication request includes an identifier of the target endpoint and does not include the security code.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second portion is embedded in the HTTP request using a text-to-binary format and the method further includes requesting the security code from a secure server using data in the set of instructions.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first portion includes a telephone number, and the second portion includes an identifier directing the data-center communications server to a secure server that provides the security code.